Morning
by Key the Metal Idol
Summary: AU Jack was with the tail section, and one of the first to be taken by the Others.


**A/N:** My OTP for eponine119 at lostsquee's Luau. Wanted to try something a little different with them.

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"Ben, ready to get up?"

Ben wrinkled his nose and dug down deeper under the covers. Jack smiled at his obstinance--Ben was the one who'd asked to be woken up. Jack ran a hand down Ben's chest and stomach stopping to take his half-hard cock in hand, wringing an undignified squeak from him as he began to stroke. Ben was breathing hard, his sleepy eyes fixed on Jack's.

"How about now? Though I'll understand if you'd rather sleep..." Jack stilled his hand.

"Don't you dare stop," Ben somehow managed an air of menace, though he was painfully aroused and half-asleep. The implied threat lingered for a moment until Jack disappeared under the covers and his hand was replaced by a mouth. Jack sucked and swallowed until Ben was pulsing into his throat.

"Didn't even ruin the sheets this time," Jack rasped as he reappeared. He pulled Ben towards him, kissing him lightly and running his fingers through his hair.

Ben hummed an agreement, "Good thing, we're running low."

Jack traced the pink scar on Ben's back, he could still hardly believe how fast it had healed, "I know you're feeling better, but are you sure about this? It's not too late to change your mind."

"I need to know if any of them are pregnant, Jack. You've seen Juliet's research, you know what will happen to them if they are," Ben sighed, he'd never had to explain himself until Jack came along.

"I know _why_ you want to do this Ben. I just don't think it's safe. I didn't know some of the people that were killed, but I'd met Ethan and Goodwin," Jack paused, thinking of Ana Lucia. If he hadn't gone back to visit her on the plane he'd never have gotten stuck in the tail section to start with, but the things she had done... "We've just started this Ben, I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you like what happened to them."

Ben felt his face flush. It was still strange to him, having a relationship with anyone. All of his past efforts had been spectacular failures, and this had just sort of happened while he wasn't even trying.

Jack had gotten a concussion in the crash, so Ben had tasked Alex with watching over Jack in their guest room since he needed to be woken up every so often. Keeping Karl away had also been a welcome bonus. Ben introduced himself, and Jack hadn't reached out to take his hand. He'd nearly been offended until Jack sheepishly admitted he didn't know which of the three hands he saw was the real one. Eventually he clasped Ben's hand with both of his own, lending an odd intimacy to the action. It took a few days until Jack could see straight again, then they were off to the Staff station so Jack could check on Ben's tumor.

Once Jack told Ben it wasn't going to be immediately fatal, he tried to put off surgery until later. Jack was furious, since Ben wasn't taking the risk seriously enough. Jack cornered him in a storage closet, locked them both in and recounted some of the worst medical horror stories he'd heard on the subject. He'd pushed a little too far in fact--Ben was terrified.

Ben had already been worried what everyone would think when he'd gotten sick on an island where people never did, but he needed to keep up a strong front for his people. Ben started shaking, and Jack feeling contrite, put an arm around his shoulder, "I don't mean to scare you, but we need to get it taken care of as soon as possible, alright?" Jack put both arms around Ben then, holding him, he hoped, in a comforting way.

"Alright," he'd said, but he didn't stop shaking. In fact he'd begun to tear up, and Jack started to run his hands up and down Ben's back, redoubling his efforts. Ben wasn't used to being touched, it felt good. He pulled his arms around Jack, letting his hands rest in the small of his back.

Jack had wanted to kiss him then, but after what happened with Sarah, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Ben watched the indecision warring on Jack's face. He'd read all about Jack's ex-wife and could guess his thoughts, not wanting to drag Ben into a cycle that seemed cursed to repeat itself.

"I'm not her, Jack. Couldn't be _less_ her, in fact. Let go of everything from before_--please_," Ben hated the quaver in his voice, but soon enough there were lips on his, Jack pushing him back against the wall. They got back to camp late that night, looking rumpled, and wearing vaguely guilty expressions.

Tom said later on they'd been flirting since they'd met, but that was news to Ben. He'd tried to keep Jack comfortable while he healed of course, and if Jack offered to help by chopping vegetables for him, or otherwise lending a hand here and there, well he was being polite--that's all. Juliet had been less wary around Ben since Jack had come along too. He hadn't understood it at the time. In the end it hadn't made much difference for her since he'd already set the plan with Goodwin in motion, and he doubted any apology would be well received.

Ethan had returned with Claire by the time he was ready for the surgery, giving Jack two trained assistants. Everything had run smoothly, though swelling afterwards had put pressure on Ben's spinal column, and he'd been stuck in a wheelchair for a few days. It had been embarrassing at first, being wheeled from place to place by Jack, especially since Jack had no reservations about keeping him from doing anything that might slow his recovery--no matter who might be watching. Ben was angry about it until he noticed that no one seemed to think any less of him for it, they were actually kind of impressed that Jack put up with him without complaint. Jack didn't mind Ben being childish, he liked to take care of him, and Ben, though he loathed to admit it, loved being taken care of. It was something he'd never had before, no matter how desperately he'd wanted to.

Ben also fought much less with Alex since Jack had been there. Jack and Alex had talked quite a bit when he'd first arrived, mostly because asking if Jack knew his name or where he was every time she had to wake him had gotten boring really fast. Alex wasn't shy in giving her opinion of her father, which had started Jack in on his. Christian was dead, but that hadn't softened Jack's feelings much.

"At least he only killed himself this time," Ben overheard one night, after Jack had recounted his journey to Sydney. As far as Alex knew her father was only an overprotective liar, and she felt a little guilty for complaining to Jack about it. Jack told Alex that it would be stranger if she _did_ like her father. She was in the teenage rebellion stage, and if she hadn't found real reasons to hate him, she'd have to make some up, "Though I suppose you can't grab a bus across the country, when you're on an island. One of my high school girlfriends did that—it was a mess. I'm sure you've been told this a million times by well-meaning, over-bearing adults, but the stuff that seems life and death at your age, won't even register when you're older."

Alex had sighed and rolled her eyes, "Go back to sleep, Jack."

As happy as Ben was with his home life nowadays, he still had responsibilities, and though Jack had more than enough reason to worry about what the people from his plane might do to him, it still had to be done.

Jack sat up on the bed, dangling his feet over the edge, "I just need you to know that I love you, okay?"

"Jack, I know you're still kind of new around here, but there's no emotional blackmail until _after_ breakfast," Ben said lightly as Jack sighed in frustration. "Learn your Latin, play football with Tom, keep an eye on Alex for me--I'll be back before you know it," Ben wrapped his arms around Jack, placing a kiss on his shoulder, "and thanks--for meaning it."

Jack shook his head in mock resignation, "I won't let Alex get more than three tattoos, and no piercings below the waist--"

"Jack," Ben warned.

"--though if she asks nicely--"

"Do you really want to miss out on the last decent food you'll have until I get back? By all means continue," Ben concluded imperiously.

"Oh, fine," Jack wriggled out of Ben's arms, walking over to pull clothes out from the dresser. "Like you'd really make me eat my own cooking," he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that," Ben called back as he headed to the bathroom.

Jack tried to tell himself he was worrying over nothing. Ben was a brilliant liar and the Henry Gale plan was flawless. What could possibly go wrong?


End file.
